Politics as Unusual

My mother, among other people, posted this on Facebook, today.  I love my mother, but this is so out of character for her, I’m considering insisting that she be evaluated.

If you don’t understand why I find this meme outrageous, basically, it’s drawing a parallel between a 70’s and 80’s toilet paper commercial and the accusations being made against Judge Kavanaugh.

I considered responding to her post but didn’t want her to feel cornered or attacked.  So instead, I made a general post including this picture.

I’ve seen this meme posted several times already from various places. I started to respond to a couple but didn’t because I didn’t want to put anyone on the defensive.

But I feel the need to respond in a general sense, without singling anyone out.

This meme clearly mocks the accusations being levied against Judge Kavanaugh. If you’re over the age of 30 and lived in this country with a TV, you can’t reasonably deny that.

I agree that the current proceedings are a circus and it’s very hard to respect what’s happening on either side of the political aisle.

This meme, however, mocks the victims of sexual assault who are coming forward to make the public aware of behavior that, if proven true, should disqualify him from serving on the SCOTUS

Did Kavanaugh try to rape Dr. Ford or any other woman? We may never know. Does that mean that we should stop taking women seriously when they seek justice for crimes that have a lifetime impact?

What disappoints me about those I’ve seen posting this meme is that they are women. I honestly can’t think of any woman that I know personally, who have not been the object of unwanted sexual attention. It’s damaging. Most of us know exactly how much so. It’s not something you just get over or move past. It lurks in every corner every moment of your life.

Again, I’m not taking sides on the Kavanaugh issue. I was hoping I could trust a thorough investigation to make the decision. I’m no longer trusting that that will happen, so I’m satisfied with admitting that we just can’t know. I have my opinions on whether he should be confirmed, but that’s not what I’m discussing here.

Let’s make sure that our anger and frustration are directed to the correct targets. Women who are seeking justice for assault are not the correct targets.

I welcome comments, but if you’re going to go on the attack with “but the “Dems did X,” or “Republicans are so,” I will delete your comments. This particular meme and my post, are not about Left or Right. They are about victims of sexual assault. It’s not a political issue. It’s an issue of compassion and common decency.

Most people agreed with and applauded me.  Then my mom saw it.  She immediately went on the offensive.  I’d just copy and paste her replies, but she deleted them before I could get back to them.  Basically, she placed all the blame on the Left (of which my Mom has always been a member).  She claimed that the meme was just a silly joke.  My mother is too intelligent to have missed that parallel.  Unless she really is losing her mind at 66.

It was completely contrary to everything she’d ever told me growing up – so out of character that my one of my sisters and two of my cousins have spoken to me about how odd the behavior is.

I really despise Trump for what he’s done to us as a nation.  Yes, I realize that the division has been there for centuries, but once was a long slow cracking, has suddenly become a gaping chasm.